In order to answer this question we first need to define "cult of personality." According to Merriam-Webster, a cult of personality is
a situation in which a public figure (such as a political leader) is deliberately presented to the people of a country as a great person who should be admired and loved.
To further understand what is meant by "cult of personality," let's focus on the "deliberately presented." In other words, the citizens are propagandized, if not brainwashed, by the mass media to see the leader as a hero to be worshipped and followed blindly. So with a cult of personality, the leader must have control over the mass media. And in order to spread the message as far as possible, art, spectacle, demonstrations, and rallies are used along with the mass media to create a sort of impermeable group perspective against which dissent is difficult, if not impossible.
The term "cult of personality" is often used to describe strongmen leaders of totalitarian regimes who have total control over state-run media: for example Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and today's Kim Jong-Un. In addition to admiration and support, a sort of worshipful love and infatuation—even deification—is encouraged in the public, which increases the power of the leader.
Behind the definition is the understanding that the leader is not actually great or admirable or heroic, in contrast to public acclaim and love for a leader like George Washington, which would be based on real accomplishments. A cult of personality has historically been viewed as a threat to democracy, since acclaim for the figure's leadership is not based on their performance, but rather their (propagandized) charisma.
In 1984 by George Orwell, a cult of personality has been created around the figure of Big Brother. However, since it is never clear whether Big Brother is an actual human being or simply an invention of oppression, it shows that people can even be manipulated to fall in love with an idea of a person.
The term "Big Brother" has entered everyday use to indicate intrusive and unwarranted surveillance, usually by the government.
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